President invites American investors to Sri Lanka

Monday, 5 October 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Maithripala Sirisena has invited American investors to come to Sri Lanka without any fear, stating that Sri Lanka is now a most suitable country for foreign investments.

The President, who made an official visit to New York to participate in the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, made this invitation when he met the American investors last Thursday at a Breakfast Forum on featuring Investment Opportunities in Sri Lanka, hosted by Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) at Hotel Waldorf Astoria in New York.

President Sirisena said the goal of the new Government was to make Sri Lanka a paradise for investors before long. He stated that the required infrastructure facilities to establish Sri Lanka as a centre of commerce and investments were already in place in the country.

“It is the Government’s plan to develop them practically according to local and international requirements,” he said. The President pointed out that social and political stability as well as lasting peace, that were essential requirements for economic development, had been established in Sri Lanka. He added that transparency of transactions, good governance and a bribery and corruption free environment were rapidly being created in the country. The President also stated that Sri Lanka was geographically situated in an appropriate position to become a global naval hub. He invited all investors to make use of the ports in Colombo and Hambantota which have been built facilitating this naval hub.

He mentioned that required facilities were already in place in these ports. “Those will be further developed according to the needs of the investors,” he said.

The President said investments of the United States in Sri Lanka now amounted to $ 500 million, and added that the time had come to seek opportunities in the sectors of engineering, construction and consumer production industries.

“It is very important to pay attention to investment opportunities in the fields of renewable energy and natural gas, oil excavations, tourism and maritime,” he emphasised.

The investors of the United States expressed their satisfaction over Sri Lanka’s transformation into a country which protects the rule of law, and ensures peace and safety and assured that they would come to Sri Lanka and explore investment opportunities.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal also participated in this occasion.